Hunting jacket

ABSTRACT

A hunting jacket having a back panel and a front panel attached to the back panel at the left and right shoulder. At least one flap having a first and second side is attached to one of the panels and movable between a first position in which a first side of the flap covers a portion of the back panel, and a second position in which the second side of the flap covers a portion of the front panel. With the flap secured in the back, the jacket together with the panel exhibit a camouflage coloring. Conversely, with the flap secured across the front, both the other side of the flap as well as the uncovered portion of the back panel are brightly colored, such as colored orange.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application 61/597,315, filed Feb. 10, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to jackets, safety vests, and safety harnesses and, more particularly, to a hunting jacket.

2. Description of Related Art

Many hunters utilize camouflage jackets while hunting. The use of the camouflage jacket makes it more difficult for the hunted animal to visually detect the hunter which, in turn, improves the hunter's chances of successfully killing the prey.

However, for certain types of hunting, such as deer hunting, many states require hunters to wear brightly colored jackets, such as a bright orange, while hunting. Since most prey is color blind, the brightly colored jackets do not increase the visual exposure of the hunter to the prey. However, the use of a brightly colored jacket by the hunter is clearly visible to other hunters so that the brightly colored jacket decreases the likelihood that a hunter will accidentally shoot another hunter.

Consequently, hunters who typically wear camouflage jackets for most hunting oftentimes carry a brightly colored vest to wear over the camouflage jacket in order to safely and legally hunt. However, this solution is not always satisfactory since the hunter may accidentally forget the brightly colored vest and. therefore, be unable to safely hunt. Even when the hunter does remember to bring his or her brightly colored vest, it is cumbersome to carry the brightly colored vest along with the other hunting equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a hunting jacket which overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages of the previously known hunting jackets.

In brief, the present invention provides a hunting jacket, safety vest, safety harness, vest, and/or shirt having a back panel which covers the back of the hunter's torso, and a front panel which covers the front of the hunter's torso. The front panel typically includes a left and right subpanel which are removably attached together by zippers, snaps, and/or the like.

The front and back panels are secured together along the hunter's shoulders. In addition, a pair of flaps are also attached to the jacket with one flap being attached to each shoulder, preferably at the junction of the front and back panels.

The flaps are movable between a first and a second position and held in those respective positions by any conventional means, such as a magnet, snap, or zipper. In the first position, the flaps are secured across the back panel so that a first side of both flaps face and cover a portion of the back panel. Conversely, with the flaps in their second position, the flaps are secured across the front panel by a zipper, snaps. or the like so that a second side of the flaps face and cover a portion of the front panel.

The front panel, second side of the flaps, and any portion of the back panel not covered by the flaps all have similar coloring, such as a camouflage pattern. Consequently, with the flaps in the first position, the overall jacket has an appearance of a camouflage jacket.

Conversely, with the flaps moved to their second position, the first side and now forwardly facing side of the flaps as well as the portion of the back panel covered by the flaps when in their first position are all similarly colored, but are similarly colored as a bright color, such as bright orange. Such a hunting jacket not only complies with state laws requiring brightly colored jackets for certain types of hunting, but also increases the visibility of the hunter to other potential hunters thus reducing the risk of accidental injury from another hunter.

A primary advantage of the hunting jacket of the present invention is that a single jacket may be rapidly and easily converted between a camouflage jacket and a brightly colored hunting jacket without the previously known necessity of carrying a separate brightly colored hunting vest.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view illustrating a first preferred embodiment of the present invention: and

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but illustrating the back of the hunting jacket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

With reference first to FIGS. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the jacket 10 according to the present invention is shown. The jacket 10 includes a back panel 12 which covers the back of the hunter's torso, and a front panel 14 which covers the front portion of the hunter's torso. The front panel 14, in turn, is typically divided into a left subpanel 16 and a right subpanel 18. The front subpanels 16 and 18 may be detachably secured together by any conventional means 19, such as a zipper, snaps, buttons, and the like.

The jacket 10 also includes a pair of sleeves 20 secured to the front and back panels 12 and 14, respectively. The sleeves 20 are dimensioned to receive the arms of the hunter therethrough. However, the sleeves 20 are optional and, if omitted, the jacket 10 becomes a vest. Consequently, as used herein, the term “jacket” shall mean the jacket with sleeves, a vest, a shirt, safety harness, safety vest, or any other body wear which covers at least a portion of the front and back of the hunter's torso.

A pair of generally rectangular flaps 22 are secured to the jacket 10. One flap 22 is secured to one shoulder of the jacket 10 while the other flap is secured to the other shoulder of the jacket 10.

With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the flaps 22 are movable between a first position, illustrated at 23 on the left back of the jacket 10 in FIG. 2, and a second position, illustrated in FIG. 1 at 25 on the right front side of the jacket. In their first, a first side 24 of both flaps 22 overlie and thus cover a portion 26 of the back panel 12. Any conventional means, such as a snap 27, button, or zipper, may be used to secure the flaps 22 in their first position.

Conversely, in their second position (FIG. 1), the flaps 22 are flipped forwardly so that the flaps 22 cover a portion 28 of the front panel 14. In doing so, the other or second side 29 of the flaps 22 overlie and cover a portion 28 of the front panel 14. In this position, the flaps are detachably secured to the jacket 10 by any conventional means 27, such as a zipper, buttons, snaps, etc. Furthermore, with the flaps in their second position (FIG. 1), the portions 26 of the back panel 12 previously covered by the flaps 22 are exposed.

With the flaps in their first position as shown on the left side of FIG. 1 in FIG. 2, the front panel 14 as well as the first side 24 of the flaps 22 are of a camouflage design. Consequently, with the flaps 22 in their first position (FIG. 2) the entire jacket 10 has the appearance of a camouflage jacket.

Conversely, the portions 26 of the back panel 12 that are covered by the flaps when in their first position, as well as the second side 29 of the flaps 22, i.e. the forwardly facing side of the flaps 22 when the flaps are in their second position and covering the front panel 14 of the jacket 10. are brightly colored, such as a bright orange. Consequently, when the flaps 22 are in their second position, portions of both the front and the back of the jacket are brightly colored.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides a simple, and yet effective, hunting jacket that can be easily and rapidly converted between a camouflage jacket and a brightly colored hunting jacket. Furthermore, since the flaps 22 are sewn to the jacket along the jacket shoulders, the flaps 22 and the back and front panels 12 and 14, respectively, of the jacket are permanently attached together.

The jacket, including the back panel 12, front panel 14, and flaps 22 are constructed of any conventional material, such as cloth, canvas, or the like.

Having described our invention, however, many modifications thereto will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains without deviation from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims. 

We claim:
 1. A hunting jacket comprising: a back panel, a front panel attached to said back panel at a left and right shoulder, at least one flap having a first and a second side, said at least one flap being attached to at least one of said front panel and said back panel and movable between a first position in which said first side of said flap covers a portion of said back panel, and a second position in which said second side of said flap covers a portion of said front panel, wherein a coloring of said first side of said flap matches a coloring of said portion of said back panel and a coloring of said second side of said flap is different than said first side of said flap and matches said portion of said front panel.
 2. The hunting jacket of claim 1 wherein said coloring of said first side of said flap and said portion of said back panel comprises a bright color.
 3. The hunting jacket of claim 2 wherein said bright color comprises orange.
 4. The hunting jacket of claim 2 wherein said bright color comprises red.
 5. The hunting jacket of claim 2 wherein said bright color comprises yellow.
 6. The hunting jacket of claim 1 wherein said coloring of said second side of said flap and said portion of said front panel comprises camouflage coloring.
 7. The hunting jacket of claim 1 wherein said front panel comprises a left side and right side panel sections joinable together by a fastener.
 8. The hunting jacket of claim I wherein said at least one flap comprises two flaps.
 9. The hunting jacket of claim 8 wherein one of said flaps is attached to said left shoulder and the other of said flaps is attached to said right shoulder.
 10. The hunting jacket of claim 1 and comprising a fastener to hold said flap in said first position and a fastener to hold said flap in said second position.
 11. The hunting jacket of claim 1 wherein said fastener comprises a snap having a male and female sections, one of said snap sections being attached to said flap and the other snap section being attached respectively to the front and back panels.
 12. The hunting jacket of claim 1 wherein said front panel and said back panel comprise fabric.
 13. The hunting jacket of claim 1 wherein said at least one flap comprises fabric.
 14. The hunting jacket of claim 1 and comprising a pair of sleeves attached to said front and back panels. 